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European Jews, German Irish, Chinese, Greek Jews, and many other Ethnic groups all found a place in the Lower East Side melting pot. Learn the history of each group, why they chose to immigrate and how they acclimatized to American culture.

From tenements and pushcarts, to condominiums and stockbrokers, the colorful history of this unique Manhattan enclave resonates strongly in the hearts of all visitors.

 
   
B'nai B'rith: From $60, to the World
B'nai B'rith (www.bnaibrith.org) was founded at 60 Essex Street in 1843 by 12 German immigrants, each of whom donated $5.00 to get the organization started. Its original purpose was to help newly arrived immigrants in America. Today B'nei B'rith is worldwide in scope, addressing concerns of Jews around the globe. There is a plaque to mark this historic site.

Chatham Square:
The Oldest Jewish Cemetery in the U.S.
The oldest known Jewish cemetery in the United States (1683) is a tiny plot of land called Chatham Square near the Manhattan Bridge.This cemetery belongs to the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue (8 W. 70th Street — www.shearithisrael.org) the oldest Jewish congregation in North America (established in 1654). Jewish revolutionary soldiers and patriots, as well as officers from the synagogue, are buried here.

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Forward Building:
The Forward Building (1911) at 173 East Broadway was the home of the The Jewish Daily Forward (Forverts), a popular Socialist Yiddish Newspaper geared towards East European immigrants. This ten-story building has been restored to its original grandeur and is being used for residential condominiums (www.forwardbuilding.net). Medallion sculptures of famous socialists are set over the building entrance next to the engraved words "THE FORWARDS." The Yiddish letters "Forwards" in gold adorn the top of the building underneath a huge clock that lights up at night.

Jarmulowsky Bank: His Own Bank:
The Jarmulowsky Bank was started in 1873 by a German immigrant Alexander (Sendor) Jarmulowsky. In 1911, an impressive 12-story structure was built at the original site on Orchard Street. When World War I broke out, there was a run on the bank. When the bank was unable to pay the depositors, the government closed down the bank. The name of the bank is still engraved over the entrance to the building, now used for commercial purposes.

Kletzker Brotherly Aid Association:
In 1892 immigrants from Kletz, Poland formed a brotherly-aid society known as a landsmanschaftn whose purpose was to help new arrivals from their hometown. In 1911 the landsmanschaftn built a three-story building that still stands today. The name of the organization, the Kletzker Brotherly Aid Association, stands on top of the building, used today as a Chinese funeral parlor.

One of the Kletzkers, Rabbi Aaron Kotler, achieved notoriety by establishing what is today the largest rabbinical college in the world, located in Lakewood, New Jersey. The main building on campus is called Kletzk.

"Shteebel Row" - a street full of synagogues.

Sixty Hester Street:

The tenement building standing at 60 Hester Street (Ernest Flagg, architect -- built in 1901) won a citation because it offered apartments that would significantly improve living conditions for immigrants in the Lower East Side. Since the building did not cover the entire lot, it left space on either side of the building for much needed light and air. The building also had twent-eight toilets for fifty apartments, a very high ratio for that period.

Sixty Hester Street still exists today as a tenement building and is fully occupied. There are now 38 units, with each apartment having its own bathroom.

Straus Square:
Originally called Rutgers Square, the intersection of East Broadway, Rutgers, and Essex Streets was an important center of political activity for Jewish immigrants. The square was renamed in 1931 to honor Nathan Straus, a well known philantropist who advocated for the needs of the poor as well as being a famous supporter of Palestine.

  
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